Free, Open Courses Gaining Traction Among American Universities

Forget about breaking the bank—the internet is a massive, untapped resource for learning… compliments of Ivy League schools and other academic institutions. In fact, USA Today recently reported that ”massive open online courses — MOOCs, for short — is a new way of teaching and learning that has taken higher education by storm in recent months. We have collected a list of videos that showcase the best. Here’s a list of 15 free, online open courses and lectures that are completely free and extremely informative:

1) MIT Open Courseware: Geeks unite with free, online classes like Circuits and Electronics, Computer Science and Programming, and Solid State Chemistry.

2) Harvard University: Harvard University is devoted to excellence in teaching, learning, and research, and to developing leaders in many disciplines who make a difference globally. With that in mind, they have made learning more accessible through their online courses like Health in Numbers.

3) Berkley: Learn from an institution that has bred eight Nobel Laureates, 32 MacArthur fellows, and four Pulitzer Prize winners. Take free, open-source courses like Foundations of Computer Graphics and Software as a Service.

4) Boston College: A service of Boston College Magazine, this lecture series features subjects from ethical business practices to transforming education.

5) Cornell University: The Cornell Cast program offers more than 1,000 free videos on everything from arts and humanities to public engagement and medicine.

6) University of California: University of California Television (UCTV) is a media outlet featuring programming from throughout the University of California, a research university made of ten campuses. Enjoy special features like MedEd Hour, Teacher’s Pet, and more.

7) Mendoza College of Business:The Berges Lecture Series is presented each fall by the Center for Ethics and Religious Values in Business and Institute for Ethical Business Worldwide. The series features senior executives speaking on their experiences of the ethical dimensions of business.

8) The Open University: Like most products, you want to “try it out” before you purchase them. This is the same for colleges and universities. Open University’s Learning Space allows access to dozens of lectures, so you can make the decision of whether or not the college is right for you. Courses like English Grammar in Context, History of Reading, and Leading and Learning are all practical subjects everyone could brush up on.

9) Academy Art: From animation to advertising, and fashion to photography, Academy Art covers the gamut on online video lectures.Watch the most recent video by guest lecturers Gladys Perint Palmer and Simon Ungless for the fashion design schools on “Hype, Hope, and Hoopla.”

10) Brigham Young University: This college offers a number of online courses offered for credit to paying students, as well as the general public. Courses cover a vast array of subjects from religion to business.

11) Tufts University: This Boston-based university offers a handful of quality open courses that center around healthcare and general higher education. Their motto is, “This begins with sharing knowledge among colleagues, between departments, among schools and finally across countries and continents.”

12) Stanford University: Sixteen courses will highlight Stanford’s free online offerings this fall through the Classes2Go program. From cryptography to science writing, technology entrepreneurship, finance and a crash course in creativity, the courses are open to anyone with a computer, anywhere.

13) Khan Academy: Khans motto: “Learn almost anything for free.” This is so true, as courses range from standardized test prep to practical sciences. The Khan Academy is a non-profit educational organization created by educator Salman Khan, a MIT and Harvard graduate.

14) Utah State University: This university, which abides by the mentality that “educational opportunity is the mechanism by which we fulfill that capacity,” offers free open courses to the general public on topics like education, anthropology, engineering, human development, mathematics, physics, and more.

15) Johns Hopkins University: Academic medical teaching and research hub based in Maryland, Johns Hopkins University offers open courses on all things medical.

About Allison Freeland

Allie Freeland is the Editor-in-Chief of CollegeOnline.org. She has been a professional writer for a decade and received her bachelor's degree in Journalism from the University of Minnesota. She brings a wealth of information about higher education, online degrees, college life, and career advice. Follow her on G+.